Improved washing and wringing machine



UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE. li'

IM'PROVED WASHING AND wRlNGlNG MACHINE.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 41,953. dated March l5, 1864.

T 0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EPHRAIM B. WELLS, of Uniontown, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Washing and Wringing Clothes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal and vertical section through the machine. Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of the same.

My invention relates more especially to the operation and use of an elastic roller connected to the machine, by means of which the endless apron that carries the clothes under the pounders is moved, controlled, or stopped, as occasion may require, when washing the clothes,

and which roller, together with one under-l neath it, may be used for wringing or squeezing out 'the water after the clothes are washed without alteration of the machine, except to shift a directing-board, which carries the clothes out of the machine when divested of the water or squeezed, said board, when in its other position, allowing the clothes to fall back into the tub.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawlngs.

A represents a tub or wash-box supported on legs B. Within this box is arranged an endless apron, C, that passes'around two rollers, D E, the latter of which may be adjustable by means of the journal-supports a a, &c., for the purpose of straining up said apron or slackening it, 'as may be required. Within this endless apron C there is placed a roller or shaft, F, by which lthe apron is moved, as will be hereinafter explained, and there is also within the belt or apron a block, G, supported on a rod, c, and covered with cloth or other soft, elastic, or springy substance, d, to prevent injury to the clothes, which are subjected to a pounding process upon it. This covering d, as well as the apron C, may be of felt or rubber cloth or a blanket.

To the side pieces, H H, are pivoted, respectively, the levers I I, their lower ends supporting the journals of a roller, J, that is held down against the roller F by means of a rubber or other spring, b, attached to the crossbar K, that connects the front ends of the said levers I, and to the frame-piece L at e. The action of this roller J will be more fully explained in describing the operation of the machine.

In the cross-pieces L M of the upright frame are arranged two or more vertical pounders, N, which have projections f f upon their rear sides, against which the tappets g on the drum or shaft O strike and carry up said pounders N against the action of rubber or other springs, h h, so that when the tappets slip past the projections f the contraction of the springs h returns the pounders or beaters with considera ble force upon the clothes underneath them.

When the clothes are washed, and it is desired to wring them, the board P is turned forward, as shown in red, Fig. l, and rests against the stop z', and the beaters, having been raised up, the slide Q is pushed along until the portions j j thereof take under the projections k k of the beaters, and thus hold up the beaters out of the way. The washed clothes may now be placed upon the belt or apron C, (the water in the tub having been lowered so as not to wet the apron,) and they may be run between the rolls J F, which squeeze out the water, and thence the clothes, dropping from the belt or apron onto the guide-board P,are carried out of the machine and dropped into a basket or any other receiver.

When the machine is again to be used as a washing-machine, the board P is moved back, the slide Q is drawn from under the projections k k, the tub replenished with water, so that the belt or apron will pass through it and carry it up to the clothes; or the clothes may be lifted from the water and laid upon the apron. The operator, now taking hold of the bar K, regulates the feeding along of the clothes,or entirely stops them, so that the beaters may be longer used upon such as are more soiled. So long as the spring b draws up the upper ends of the levers I, so long the bite of the rolls J F will be such upon the 'apron as to force it along; but the moment the operator presses down the cross-bar K, then the roll J fails to press upon theroll F and to catch upon the apron C, and consequently it stops the feed of the apron.

Upon the journal Z of the roll F there is a crank, R, for operating the machine, as follows: A pulley, S, is placed upon the journal the rollers F J`, the latter being elastic for the l, and anotherl pulley, T, is" placedl upon the purpose of pl'fmcin`u the moving of the apron journal m of the drum O, and around these at the will of the operator, as described, un two pulleys passes an endless band, n, which der the beaters for washing or without the drives both the drum 0 and the roller F, the beaters for wringing` only, as set forth and reproller J being 'driven by friction or pressure resented. upon the roll F. V

Having thus fully described my improve- I ment, what I claim therein as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with the endless apron G,

EPHRAIM B. WELLS.

lVitnes'ses:

ALLEN E. FoRRnsTER, JOHN B. RAY. 

